After nearly eight years of sharing recipes here, I’m finally adding this gluten free fruit cake. With Easter in mind, there’s also an option to turn it into a simnel cake.
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This gluten free fruit cake is moist and full of flavour — but it won’t hang around for long. I’ve listed two sugar quantities so you can choose how sweet you’d like it to be. If you plan to make it into a simnel cake, consider using the lower sugar amount because the marzipan adds extra sweetness.
How to make gluten free fruit cake
This cake is lighter than a traditional dense fruit cake; think of it as a sponge enriched with lots of fruit. I like to use a good-quality mixed dried fruit — this year I found a mix with apricots and cranberries. You can of course choose your own dried fruit, but chop large pieces like prunes or dates finely so they distribute evenly.
The method is straightforward. Start by creaming together the butter and sugar, then add the remaining wet and dry ingredients (save the dried fruit until last). If you’re pressed for time you can use the all-in-one method — add butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and eggs together and mix; it works well.
I usually use a stand mixer, but a handheld electric whisk or a wooden spoon and a large bowl work perfectly too. Once you have a smooth batter, fold in the drained dried fruit so it’s evenly distributed.
After incorporating the fruit, the batter will be ready to go into the tin.
Gluten free simnel cake
To make a simnel cake, roll about 250g of marzipan into a disk the size of your tin. Pour half the cake batter into the prepared tin, place the marzipan disk on top, then cover with the remaining batter.
If making a simnel cake I recommend using the lower sugar amount listed in the ingredients to balance the sweetness from the marzipan. When the cake is baked and completely cool, brush the top with warmed apricot jam and use the remaining marzipan to decorate.
Traditionally a simnel cake has 11 marzipan balls to represent the apostles minus Judas. As an alternative I used 11 whole almonds to reduce additional sugar.
Homemade marzipan
If you have time, homemade marzipan is worth the effort — it tastes excellent and is surprisingly simple to make. I tried it for the Christmas cake and followed a recipe without eggs, which kept the marzipan stable for longer. Fresh marzipan lifts the cake and gives a lovely texture and flavour.
How do you keep a gluten free cake moist?
This is naturally a moist fruit cake, but many homemade gluten free cakes can dry out quickly depending on the flour used. White starch-based blends in particular can lead to a drier crumb. I recommend using a wholegrain gluten free flour blend to retain moisture and structure.
The orange and lemon juice in this recipe also help keep the cake moist. To extend its freshness, store the cooled cake in an airtight container; it will keep well for about a week. If you won’t eat it within that time, fruit cakes freeze nicely — slice or portion before freezing so you can defrost individual pieces as needed.
How long does the cake bake for?
Baking time is important: too long and the cake will dry out, too short and the centre may be undercooked. Bake the cake until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If it’s still wet, continue baking and check every 5 minutes until done.
Let the cake cool completely in the tin before cutting; during cooling the centre finishes setting and becomes firm.
Free recipe booklet
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Pin the recipe for gluten free fruit cake
Gluten Free Fruit Cake (Simnel Cake Option)
Ingredients
- 400 g mixed dried fruit – or dried fruit selection of choice
- 1 orange – zest and juice
- 1 lemon – zest and juice
- 175 g butter – or margarine or coconut oil
- 75 g brown sugar – can be increased to 150g if not using marzipan
- 225 g plain gluten free flour
- 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 4 medium eggs – ideally organic
- 500 g marzipan – optional
Instructions
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Place the orange and lemon zest and juice into a large bowl with the mixed dried fruit and leave for at least 15 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
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Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs, flour, baking powder and mixed spice. Beat until well combined.
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Fold in the mixed dried fruit and any juice from the fruit-soaking step, mixing gently to combine.
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Grease an 18cm round tin. If making a simnel cake, scoop half the mixture into the tin; if making a fruit cake, put all the mixture into the tin and skip to the baking step.
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For simnel cake, divide the marzipan into two portions and roll into disks the size of the tin.
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Place one marzipan disk on top of the cake mixture in the tin and cover with the remaining batter.
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Bake for around 1 hour 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If not, bake a few minutes longer and check again.
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Allow the cake to cool completely before brushing the top with apricot jam and adding the remaining marzipan disk for a simnel cake, or decorate as you prefer.
Notes
Nutrition (Approx)
